Our Worlds Collide
by NaminexSora lover
Summary: They're polar opposites, and yet, they share something in common. A power called "Persona." -A retelling of the events in Persona 3 starring both the MC and the FeMC. P3/P3P crossover. MinakoxMinato-
1. The Start of a Whole New Life

_A/N: Hi everybody! This is my first time writing for the Persona category (And I'm sure many of my readers are surprised that I'm venturing out of the Kingdom Heart Community.) I've been a fan of the Persona series for a long time, and when P3P came to the US, I became an even bigger fan! I loved the fact that you could play as the female protagonist (who I gave the name Minako Hamuko). So, it was then that I had the idea of creating this story, a retelling of the events in persona 3 with both the MC and FemMC. Everyone knows that it takes a while to actually get into the actual plot of the game, which is way I wrote the first couple of days in one chapter. I want to get to the action as soon as possible! So, it may be slow now, but I promise it'll be a good story! :D Also, it's not going to be word by word from the game, I'll throw in a couple of my own twist in the story!_

* * *

**"_Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end. _**

**_You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be... _**

**_You will be given one year; _**

**_Go forth, never falter, with your heart as your guide..."_**

_

* * *

_

_April 6, 2010_

_Monday_

_Late Night_

* * *

A pretty young woman of only 17 years of age, gets up from her seat with a sigh. She lifts her arms over her head and stretches, a tired expression on her face.

If you'd seen her at any other time besides now, you would have thought of her as bright and radiant girl. And she would have been that now, except she had spent the whole day traveling, so she was extremely tired.

Removing her red earphones from her ears, and pressing pause on her mp3, she reaches into her travel bag and pulls out a brochure.

Her ruby eyes scan the big, bold letters on the top that reads, "Gekkoukan High School." Her eyes then land on the dorms pictured on the brochure. What she wouldn't do to be asleep in her dorm right now, instead of on this monorail!

All of a sudden, the monorail screeches to a halt, almost causing the girl to tumble to the ground. Or she would have, had it not been for the hand that grabbed hers and kept her steady.

Once she regains her composure, the girl gazes up at her 'savior,' and her eyes lock with silver-blue ones. Her 'savior' turns out to be a boy, about her age, with navy blue hair. He's wearing the same uniform she is, but of course, he's wearing pants while she's wearing a skirt.

It's then when she realizes that the boy is speaking to her, so she quickly turns her attention to him.

"Be careful..." He mutters quietly, releasing her hand. She nods slowly and was about to thank him, when the conductor's voice rings from the speakers.

"Attention, passengers. We sincerely apologize for the rough stop, and for any inconveniences caused by our delay. But, we would like to welcome you to Iwatodai. This is the finally train bound to Tatsumi Port Island. Please make sure you take all your belongings."

The ruby-eyed girl wearily smiles, she was almost to the dorm, and she could finally get to sleep! She quickly gathers her things, and exits the monorail, completely forgetting about the blue-haired boy.

Out in the station, the girl turns on her music again, and puts her earphones on. Looking up, she notices a clock. It was almost midnight.

She looks at the brochure in her hand once again for directions, just as clock strikes twelve.

All of a sudden, her music stops. "Huh?" She mutters to herself, looking around.

The power seems to have gone out, so it's completely dark. The only light in the building comes from the eerily yellow moon in the sky. The sky... is it just her, or does it look green? Shaking her head, she throws her bag over her shoulder and continues on her way.

As she makes her way to the dorm, she passes many coffin-like objects. However, she's really tired, so she doesn't dwell on them for long.

Finally arriving at her destination, she opens the door and steps in. It's dark in this building as well.

"You're late..." A voice calls out, startling her. From the shadows, a boy in a black and white striped outfit emerges. "I've been waiting a long time for you." He gives her a smile, and snaps his fingers.

"Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name there." He motions to a book on the counter. "Don't worry, it's just a contract. All it says is that you'll take full responsibility for your actions."

The girl steps towards the book and grabs the pen. She carefully signs her name, "Minako Hamuko." Underneath her signature, Minako notices a place for another signature.

"Yes, there is another who has yet to arrive." The little boy explains, as if reading her mind.

As if on cue, the front door opens, and in steps the boy Minako saw earlier. "Ah, there you are. Please, sign your name here on this contract. Like I explained to her, it only says that you'll take responsibility for your actions."

The blue-haired boy does as he's told, and signs his name. Minako watches as he writes down, "Minato Arisato."

The boy picks up the book and closes it. "No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end." He turns the book to the side, and it disappears. "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes."

Then, the boy himself begins to disappear. "And so it begins..." His voice rings in their ears, as he vanishes.

The two are left alone in the empty lounge, that is, until someone steps off the stairs and stops before them.

"Who's there!" The person says, her hand shakily reaching for the gun strapped to her thigh.

She makes a grab at her gun, but a voice stops her. "Takeba, wait!"

A girl with slightly curled red-hair appears behind the brunette. She seems a bit older than the other girl, but she has a gun too.

Suddenly, the lights come back on, and so does Minako's mp3. The ruby-eyed girl then hears another song that's not hers playing, and she realizes that Minato also has an mp3 around his neck.

She smiles, _'He likes to listen to music too, huh?' _She thinks to herself, before she's ripped from her thoughts when the red-head begins to speak.

"I didn't think you two would arrive so late. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students living in this dorm." She introduces herself.

"Who are they?" The brunette leans in and whispers to Mitsuru.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here."

However, the other girl is still uneasy. "Is it okay for them to be here?"

Mitsuru smiles, "I guess we'll see..." She then turns back to the others, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you two."

Yukari forces a smile, "Hey..."

"Nice to meet you." Minako and Minato reply simultaneously.

"U-uh, y-yeah..." She hesitates a bit, "Nice to meet the both of you too."

Mitsuru clears her throat, "It's getting late, you should both get some rest. Yukari, can you show them to their rooms? Their things should already be there."

"Right. Follow me please." She leads them to the stairs. "Oh, yeah. Do you have any questions?" She asks them as they climb up to the second floor.

"Does that kid live here too?" Minako asks, only to receive a puzzled look from Yukari.

"What kid?" She shakes her head, "Anyway, can I ask you guys something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Minato raises an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I-... Never mind." She then shows them to their separate rooms. She bids each of them goodnight, before they enter their rooms.

Both teens fall asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. It's been a long day for the both of them. However, neither knew that things were going to get very interesting, very fast.

xxxx

* * *

_April 7, 2009_

_Tuesday_

_Early Morning_

* * *

Minato had awaken early, and he was busy getting organized for school, when a knock on his door called his attention.

"Hey, it us! Are you awake?" He hears Yukari's voice from the other side of the door. He opens the door and reveals both Yukari and Minako. "Good morning! Did you sleep okay?" The brunette asks with a smile.

"Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you two to school. Are you ready?" Minato nods, and the three continue on their way.

Yukari explained that they had to take the monorail to get to Gekkoukan, since it was on an island. The two transfer students are surprised by this, and are amazed when they actually see the school.

"Wow.." Minako gasps, her eyes sparkling.

Yukari walks them to the main gate, saying hi to a couple students as she walks by. "We're here!" She announces with a smile, "Welcome to Gekkoukan High. Hope you like it!"

She then leads them inside. "You two should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is right there on the right. Well, I should get going! I mean, I don't even know what class I'm in yet! Later!" She waves before a thought occurs to her.

"Hey," She says in a whispered voice, "Please don't say anything about what you saw last night, okay?" She then disappears around the corner.

Minato makes his way to the faculty office, while a crowd gathered at the bulletin board catches Minako's attention. Getting a better look, she sees that it is the class rosters. She looks for her name, but has no luck. Trying again, she sees her name on a small note. She also sees Minato's name on it.

"Hey, Minato! We're in the same class!" She says cheerfully, only to realize that the boy wasn't around. _'He must have gone to the faculty office. I'll see if I can catch him.'_

-Meanwhile with Minato-

Minato enters the office, and is spotted by a teacher. "Oh, are you a new student?" The teacher asks him, before looking through some folders she's carrying. "Minato Arisato, 11th grade correct? You sure lived in a lot of places... Let's see, in 1999, ten years ago, your parents..." She trails off, and her expression softens.

"I'm sorry... I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. Well, I'm Ms..." She's cut off when the door opens and in walks Minako. "Hello there. You must be the other transfer student, Minako, right? I was just telling Minato who I am. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. And how lucky of me that I get both of you in my class, 2-F. I'll show you the way, but first we all need to go to the auditorium for the Welcoming Ceremony." She exits the office, with the two students at her heels.

In the auditorium, Minako and Minato take a seat next to one another. They listen to a speech by the principal, before a guy taps Minato on the shoulder.

"Psst... Hey." He whispers. "You came to school with Yukari and her this morning, right?" He says, 'her' referring to Minako. "I saw you guys. I have a question, do you know if Yukari has a boyfriend?"

The blue-haired boy shakes his head, "No, I just met her yesterday."

"I see. I thought you might know, but I guess not. Well, what about her? Does she have one?" He turns his attention to the ruby-eyed girl, who's listening intently to the speech.

"I hear talking. Ms. Toriumi, quiet your class!" A teacher from another class says, and Ms. Toriumi tells them to hush. After the ceremony, Minato and Minako head to their homeroom, where they're assigned to sit next to each other. The day drags on, but it soon comes to an end.

* * *

_After School_

* * *

After class was over, a boy with a cap approached the two transfer students. "'Sup, guys!" He says with a smile. "How's it goin'?"

"Good, but who are you?" Minako asks with a tilt of her head.

"I'm Junpei Iori! Nice to meet ya!" He adjusts his cap, as the two introduce themselves. "I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid, so I wanted to say 'hey.' See what a nice guy I am?" He says cheerfully.

Just then, Yukari enters the class, and heads their way. Junpei lights up, "Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"

The brunette sighs, "At it again, huh? I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. I'm surprised you haven't tried to hit on Minako yet! Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

The boy frowns, "What? But, I was just bein' friendly... And for the record, I wasn't going to hit on her... at least not with you and Minato around..." He mumbles the last part.

"If you say so. Anyway, looks like the three of us are in the same homeroom. Funny, huh?" Yukari turns to the two.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" Junpei scoffs. "By the way, I heard you guys came to school together this morning. And if I do say so myself, you and Minato seem pretty cozy. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

"Wh-what are you talking about? We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay! If you're saying this, who knows what everyone else is saying." Yukari sighs again.

She then turns to Minato, "You didn't say anything to anyone about... you know what, did you?" He shakes his head, "Good. But seriously, don't say anything about last night, alright?"

"L-last night!" Junpei buts in, stuttering like an idiot.

"W-wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea! Listen! I just met him yesterday, and Minako as well. We all live in the same dorm, and that's all! Geez, I gotta go, I've got stuff to take care of for the archery team. Don't start any rumors!" She stomps off.

"Ah, who cares?" Junpei sighs after the brunette is out of sight, "No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid. But, hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular! You da man!" He pats Minato on the back.

He then turns to Minako, "People are talkin' about you too, Mina-tan. Guys seem to think you're pretty cute. Heck, maybe even cuter than Yuka-tan! Heheh," He chuckles, "This is gonna be a fun year, I can feel it!" He grabs his things, "Hey, we should walk home together! Yeah, I'll show you around Paulownia Mall!" They spend the afternoon looking at the city-sights, before Minato and Minako decide to return to the dorm, where they retire into their rooms.

* * *

_Evening_

* * *

-Lounge-

Mitsuru is sitting on the couch, a book in her hands. She's enjoying the peace and quiet, when she hears someone approach her. A young man with silver hair stops by the girl, "I'm going out for a bit." He says.

"Hm?" Mitsuru looks up.

"Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on." The boy replies.

"I know. People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it on the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but..."

"Yeah, right. It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time." He answers with a smirk.

"You have a one track mind. Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can..."

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice." The boy exits the dorm, and Mitsuru sighs, "This isn't a game, Akihiko..."

* * *

_April 8, 2009_

_Wednesday_

_Early Morning_

* * *

Minako was hoping to walk to school with Yukari this morning, but the brunette girl had already left. The girl sighs as she exits her room and walks downstairs. She really didn't want to walk to school by herself, she didn't want to look like a loner! But who could she ask to go with her?

Suddenly, as if answering her prayers, Minato exits his room. He turns and is surprised to see the girl smiling widely at him.

"Uhm... did you need something?" The blue-haired boy asks quietly.

This only causes the brunette to light up more, _'Aww, he's shy!' _"Um, yeah, do you want to walk to school together? Please?" She practically begs him.

Minato shrugs, "Sure, why not?"

"Thanks!" She says. "Okay, let's go." She takes his hand and leads him downstairs, not knowing that this little action causes the boy to blush.

It's only when they're on the monorail when Minako releases her hold on his hand. "Hey, that reminds me." She speaks up, while looking down at her hand, "I never thanked you for stopping me from falling on that night. So, thanks!" She says with a smile.

"Oh. Um, no problem." Minato replies. The rest of the trip was pretty quite, so both students decided to listen to their music until they arrived at the school.

At the gates, Minako and Minato over-hear a conversation between two students.

"Did you hear the rumor?" One of the girls asks.

"Oh, um... something about a bathroom?"

"Not that one! About the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but stare at walls, saying things like 'It's coming! It's coming!'"

"Huh, how about that."

"You don't believe me...?" The girls asks in disbelief. However, the bell rings and everyone heads into the school.

* * *

_Afternoon_

_

* * *

_

_Composition – Ms. Toriumi_

Minako is busy doodling in her notebook, while next to her, Minato is writing down notes on Ms. Toriumi's speech.

"Hakushu Kitahara is great, but I think I prefer Fuyuhiko Yoshimura. Why isn't he ever in textbooks...?" She looks up and spots Junpei, who's has his hat over his eyes, obviously asleep.

She frowns, "Hey, Junpei!" She yells, startling the boy, "Were you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?"

"H-huh? U-um..." He turns to Minato and whispers to him, "Psst! Who does she like?"

Minako turns to him and sighs, "Are you serious? I wasn't even taking notes, and I know who she likes!"

"Then who is it!" Junpei frantically asks.

"Fuyuhiko Yoshimura." The two transfer students answer simultaneously.

"Fuyuhiko Yoshimura!" Junpei responds loudly. Ms. Toriumi smiles. "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Haha, well, you know how I like to pay attention!" He then turns to his friends, "Man, you guys saved my bacon!"

The class begins to whisper among themselves.

"Hey, those two transfer students both knew the answer! They must pay attention in class!" It was only their second day of school, and they already had some charm.

* * *

_After School_

_

* * *

_

When classes ended for the day, Minako and Minato decided to walk back to the dorms together, They pass by the strip mall, which is crowded with people. As they make their way through the crowd, Minako spots an orange tabby cat.

"Oh, wait up Minato!" She calls over the boy. "Doesn't this cat look lost?" She squats down and pats the animal on the head.

"Be careful it doesn't bite you." Minato says, eying the feline.

"Don't worry! I'll be careful!" She looks up and flashes him a smile. She then returns her attention to the cat, "Poor thing. I'd love to take you home with me, but I can't. I really do hope your owner comes looking for you though!" She gives it one last pat on the head, before getting up. "It's getting late, we should get going." The boy nods, and they return to the dorm.

* * *

Evening

* * *

The two teens enter the dorm and see Yukari talking to an older man. Yukari turns to them, "Oh, they're back."

The man gets up and gives them a friendly smile. "So, these are our new guests. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school." He chuckles, "Ikutsuki. Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes. Please, have a seat."

"Is there anything you two would like to ask?" He questions them once they're seated.

"Who else lives here?" Minako asks. The dorm seemed pretty big for only two people.

"There are five students living here. Yourself and Minato, Yukari, Mitsuru, and a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Anything else?"

"Nope, I'm good." The girl says, Minato agreeing.

"Well, I hope you both have a great school year. You should get to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm!' Forgive the pun. Now, if you'll excuse me." He gets up and exits the lounge.

Yukari sighs, "You'll get used to his lame jokes. But, he's right. You two should get some rest." She gets up and shoos them into their rooms. Once they're in, Yukari quickly climbs up to the fourth floor, where she meets up with Mitsuru.

* * *

Late Night

* * *

_Somewhere in an unknown room_

Ikutsuki enters the room, and sees Yukari and Mitsuru sitting in front of some screens. "Working hard? So, how are they doing?" He asks, taking a seat and eying the monitors, which show Minako and Minato sound asleep in their beds.

"They went to bed a little while ago. They're asleep now. Mr. Chairman, do you think they're...?"

The older man shakes his head, "Well, let's wait and see for now... the Dark Hour is approaching." He comments as the clock strikes twelve. The lights go out, excluding the monitors, and a green glow comes from outside.

* * *

Dark Hour

* * *

"Well, they're still asleep. The Dark Hours occurs every day at 12 midnight; you could say it's the "hidden" hour. During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs." Ikutsuki explains.

"Then, they must be..." Yukari trails off, turning to the monitors.

"As you can see, they retained their human form. They're asleep, but they're definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. The only question that remains is whether or not they have the Potential. Although, they must. If they didn't, THEY would've preyed on them by now." The older man continues.

"Scary..." Yukari mutters.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days."

"Yes, sir." Mitsuru says as she returns to the computers.

"I feel kinda bad though, spying on them like this..." The brunette girl comments, but returns to her work nevertheless.

**_Meanwhile_**

Minato opens his eyes and finds himself in a blue room. It looks like some kind of elevator. Taking a better look around, he notices Minako sitting in a chair next to him. She seemed to be still asleep.

He reaches out and taps the girl on the shoulder, "Hey, wake up." Minako stirs a bit, before her eyes slowly open.

"Mmm." She groans as she rubs her eyes. She then turns to him, "Minato! W-what are you doing in my room!"

Minato shakes his head, "Take a look around. We're not in your room. We're not even at the dorm anymore!"

"Well, physically, you still are." A voice says, startling the teens. They look up and see a man with a big nose sitting on the couch, his hand folded in front of him. Next to him, are a woman and a man, who are wearing blue suits. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." He says, "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintances. These are my assistants, Theodore and Elizabeth." He points to the man and the woman.

"Pleased to meet you." The two assistants say simultaneously. Theodore then gives a small bow, "You may call me Theo." He says with a smile.

The transfer students nod, before returning their attention to Igor.

"You said that we're physically still in the dorm, so where is this place at? In our heads?"

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." He answers, puzzling the teens.

"It's been years since we've had a guest. And how lucky we are to have two at the same time." He waves his hand and a book appears on the table before him. The book opens to a page, it's the contract they signed!

"Only those who have signed the Contract can enter this place. Henceforth, you two will be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You both are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return, that you abide by the Contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

"I understand." Minako and Minato reply. They really didn't understand, but it seemed like they wouldn't be able to move on unless they said they were.

"Good. Now, hold on to these." Igor waves his hand again, and glowing blue keys appear in the teens' hands. "You will come here on your own accord sooner or later, so keep these keys."

All of a sudden, Igor and his assistants began to grow blurry. "Till we meet again." Igor's voice drifts to them, before the Velvet Room disappears. When Minako and Minato open their eyes again, they're in their rooms once more. However, they're both too tired to think about their experience, so they just go back to sleep. Unbeknownst to them, two blue keys glow faintly in their hands, before they disappear into the pockets on their uniforms.

* * *

_A/N: Please Read and Review! I hope you like this chapter! Next chapter, the real fun begins! :D_


	2. Persona?

_A/N: Hi, guys! I just wanted to thank everyone for all the faves, alerts, and reviews! I really appreciate it! :D I'll answer reviews at the end of the chapter. Okay, the awakening of our protagonists' personas are going to happen in this chapter! Are you excited? I hope you are, it took me forever to write that scene! It's was a bit of a challenge trying to figure out a way to have both of their personas awaken, when there was only one evoker! So, I hope I did an OK job. Also, I recommend that you listen to the P3 soundtrack while you read, it makes it feel as if you're playing the game! Well, please read and review!_

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* * *

_

_Early Morning_

_Thursday_

_April 9, 2009_

_

* * *

_

"Hey! Minato-kun, wake up!" Minako yells as she bangs on said boy's door. "Open the door!" She brings her fist down again, and nearly smacks the boy when he suddenly pulls the door open.

He raises an eye-brow, "What's up?" He asks.

Minako stares in shock, "How can you be so calm! Don't you remember what happened last night?" She leans in, "The Velvet Room, remember?" She says in a hushed tone.

"Yeah," Minato drawls out, "I remember. And?"

"And... don't you think it's weird? How the heck did we end up in that place?"

"Do you have that key Igor gave us?" He asks, and the girl shakes her head. "I don't either. So, maybe it was just a dream."

Minako tilts her head, "Well, maybe. But, it's kinda weird that we both had the same dream... Well, I guess we'll just leave it at that. No use trying to figure it out."

"Right. Now, we should get going before we're late." The two leave the dorm together, and enter the monorail.

When they exit the monorail, and make their way towards the school, Junpei meets up with them. The boy is smiling like a child on Christmas morning, "What's up, guys! Man, today is the perfect day!" He says cheerfully. "The sky is blue, we're young, what more could we ask for!"

"Whoa, Junpei. You're really happy this morning! Did something happen?" Minako asks, smiling at his excited behavior.

Junpei nods, "Dudes, listen to this... oh, wait! I'm not supposed to say anything... Sorry."

"He's a weirdo." Minato whispers to Minako, who agrees. "Totally." She says with a nod.

"H-Hey! You guys are talking 'bout me, huh?" A frown appears on Junpei's face, before it's replaced with another grin. "Awh, I'm too happy to be mad!" He exclaims. The bell soon rings, and the three head to class.

* * *

_Morning_

_Classic Lit. - Mr. Ekoda_

* * *

"Ahem," A teacher standing at the front of the class clears his throat, "I'm Mr. Ekoda. I'll be teaching you Classic Literature. I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say Classic Lit isn't relative to everyday life, but oh how they're wrong!" He says, though the students aren't listening.

Minato turns towards Minako's seat, only to see the girl sleeping on her note-book, out cold.

He sweat-drops, _'She probably didn't get any sleep because she was too busy thinking about the Velvet Room...' _He thinks to himself, before turning his attention back to Ekoda.

"Hey, are you all listening to me? Wake up, children! Now, open your textbooks. First on our syllabus is 'Ise Monogatari,' the origin of Japanese literature. It's a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it, 'da bomb.'"

"Oh man, is this guy for real?" Junpei mutters to Minato, as the class begins to groan.

"Err, anyway..." Ekoda continues, and soon, the school day is over.

* * *

_After School_

* * *

"Minako, wake up." Minato says as he shakes the girl by the shoulders. "We've got to go back to the dorm."

The girl moans, and begins to stir. "Ugh... Minato-kun?"

"Yeah. You were out cold the whole day. Here," He holds out his hand to her. She was still groggy, and he didn't want her to fall if she tried to stand up on her own.

Minako takes his hand, "Thanks."

"Ooh! Holding hands, are we?" A voice behind them says, causing the two teens to blush and quickly drop their hands.

"Shut up, Junpei!" The ruby-eyed girl says, as she crosses her arms.

"What are you still doing here?" Minato asks the capped boy. It had taken him forever to wake up Minako, he thought Junpei would have been home by now.

"Well, I wanted to walk home with you guys!" He says with a smile.

"Oh, really? Okay, then." Minako smiles, and Minato agrees.

The two transfer students decide to walk home with Junpei.

On the way to the station, they pass by a flower shop, which catches Minako's eye. She quickly makes her way over to the shop, dragging the boys with her.

"Welcome to Rafflesia!" The shop owner says with a smile. "Oddly enough, we don't sell Rafflesias here. Trust me, you wouldn't want any..." She says, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "But, we do have roses, and daisies, and other flowers available! Please take a look!"

Minako's eyes brighten up at the mention of roses. "I love roses! They're my favorite!" She says as she quickly scans the stands for the flower.

"Uh, Mina-tan? Could you hurry it up? I don't want the ladies to see me in such a girly place..." Junpei says as he looks cautiously around him.

"Flower shops aren't just for girls, ya know!" Minako says, glaring at the boy. "Boys can like flowers too. In fact, girls like it if guys have a sensitive side to them."

"Really?" Junpei grins and grabs a rose, "Ya think I can score that girl over there by giving her this?" He makes his way to a girl browsing flowers in a corner, before he's pulled back by Minako.

"Are you crazy! You can't give a rose to someone you've never met!"

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because," Minako rolls her eyes, "Roses are a symbol of love, so you only give roses to the girl you love!"

Junpei places the rose back and frowns, "Man, who knew flowers could be so complicated!" He comments to Minato, who's busy listening to his music.

The ruby-eyed girl sighs, "Fine. Since you're in a bad mood, and you obviously prefer to listen to your music, we should just go home." She escorts the boys out of the shop, and they board the monorail.

After saying goodbye to Junpei, the two transfer students head into the dorm, where they retire into their rooms.

* * *

_Dark Hour_

_

* * *

_

Mitsuru and Yukari are busy watching the monitors, when Ikutsuki enters the room.

"How are they?" The older man asks as he takes a seat.

"The same as last night," Mitsuru replies.

Ikutsuki nods, "Hmm... very interesting. Even those who have the Potential tend to be unstable at first. Memory loss, disorientation... But, these subjects are rather unique. They haven't exhibited any of the common symptoms."

Yukari bits her lip, "But... We're treating them like guinea pigs."

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard they're your classmates. Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with people from the same grade?" He asks.

The brunette looks down, "Yeah, I guess. But still..."

All of a sudden, a beeping noise comes from the computers.

Mitsuru pushes a button and leans into a microphone, "Command room... Is that you, Akihiko?" She asks.

Akihiko's voice fills the room, "You're not gonna believe this...! This thing is huge! Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk... It's chasing me. I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there." The transmission ends, and Yukari gasps.

"Does that mean... he's bringing that thing here?" She cries, as Mitsuru gets up from her seat, and turns to the Chairman.

"Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!"

The man nods, "R-right! Be careful!" The three then quickly rush downstairs, just as Akihiko is entering the dorm. The silver-head boy is grabbing his side, and he collapses onto the floor.

"Agh...!" He groans in pain, and Yukari rushes towards him.

"Senpai!" The brunette exclaims.

Akihiko winces, "I'm alright." His expression changes, "Get ready to be surprised... It'll be here any second."

Mitsuru frowns, "This is no time to joke around!"

Ikutsuki steps forward, "It's one of them, Akihiko?"

"Yes, but not an ordinary one-" He's cut off when the building shakes violently.

"Ah!" Yukari jumps in fear, "W-what the...! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Mr. Chairman, please head for the command room! Takeba, go upstairs and wake them up! Then, escape out the back." Mitsuru orders.

Yukari hesitates, "But, what about you two?"

"We'll stop it here. You lead it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight." The red-head replies.

Akihiko glares at her, "Like I had a choice!" He then turns to the brunette, "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"

Yukari nods, "I-I'm going!"

xxx

_Meanwhile_

Minako is awaken by a loud noise, so she gets up to investigate. When she opens the door to her room, she notices that the hallway is completely dark. She can hear voices downstairs, and she was about to go see who it was, when the building shook.

"Ugh!" She cries, falling to her knees. "An earthquake?" She mutters to herself as she carefully gets up. She makes her way to the stairs, and uses the banister to steady herself, in case there was an after-shock.

_'I should check on Minato-kun.'_ She thinks to herself, as she makes her way to his room. When she opens his door, she instantly sees Minato, who looks startled.

"Minato? Are you okay?" She asks the boy.

"Yeah, but what was that?"

"I thought it was an earthquake, but there wasn't any after-shocks."

All of a sudden, Yukari rushes into the room. "Good, you're both here." She sighs in relief, before her expression turns serious, "I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!"

"That wasn't an earthquake, was it?" Minako asks. The anxiety in Yukari's voice told her that something much more serious was going on.

The girl shakes her head, "Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" She pauses, "Wait! Take these, just in case." She hands Minato a short sword, and gives Minako a Naginata.

The two teens are surprised, but they take the weapons anyway.

"Okay, let's go!" The three run out of the room, and descend the stairs. On the first floor, Yukari leads them to a back door.

"Alright, we should be safe now..." Yukari is cut off when her transmitter starts beeping.

"Takeba, do you read me?" Mitsuru's voice asks.

"Y-yes! I hear you!"

"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!" The transmission ends.

"What!" Yukari exclaims. All of a sudden, something pounds against the door, startling the teens.

"L-let's pull back!" The girl commands, and they head upstairs once again. On the second floor, they stop to calm themselves.

"What are we going to do...? They're downstairs! Do we have no choice but to go up?" Yukari mutters to herself.

"What are we going to do!" She repeats, and the two other teens turn to look at each other. They silently agree that the best thing to do is keep going up, even if they don't know what exactly it is they're running away from. Minato takes lead as he takes the girls up the next two floors.

On the fourth floor, the teens stop when they hear a crash come from downstairs.

"What was that?" It sounded as if something was climbing up the stairs! "It's getting closer!" Yukari yells, "Keeping moving, hurry!"

On the last floor, Yukari walks up to another door. "Oh, yeah! If we go out through here-!" She goes through the door, and the others have no choice but to follow her. They end up on the roof of the dorm.

Yukari turns and locks the door. "I think we're okay for now..." She sighs. However, her relief is short-lived when the building begins to shake again.

As they turn around, they see what looks like hands gripping the edge of the building. A lot of hands, to be exact. A hand holding a blue mask then pops up, and about a dozen swords as well.

The creature then climbs over the edge, and begins to advance towards them. "Those monsters... we call then shadows!" Yukari explains, before she grabs the gun strapped to her thigh, and places it against her forehead.

She breaths in, her finger against the trigger. _'I can do it...!' _She thinks to herself, when all of a sudden the creature quickens it's pace, and charges her! Yukari loses her grip on her gun as she's thrown aside. The weapon flies through the air, before it lands next to Minato's feet.

Minato looks down and gazes at the gun, before a face flashes in his mind. It's the face of the boy who made him sign the contract._ 'Go on...'_ The boys says with a smile.

xxx

After defeating their opponent, Mitsuru and Akihiko join the Chairman in the command room. Akihiko is busy at the computer, trying to locate the others. He checks all the cameras, and finally spots them on the roof.

"There!" He turns to Mitsuru, and they get up. They make their way to the door, but are stopped by Ikutsuki. "Wait!" He calls, and both teens turn back to the screens.

xxx

Back on the roof, Minato hesitantly picks up the gun. He recalls that Yukari pointed the gun at her head, so he does too. His hand is shaking, and he breaks out in a cold sweat, but he manages to place the gun to his head. Behind him, he can hear Minako's soft cries.

He lets out a shaky breath as he utters one word, "Per..so..na." With that said, he pulls the trigger.

The sound of glass shattering is heard, as a vortex of blue surrounds Minato. Minako lifts her arms up to protect herself from the sudden force, as Yukari lifts her head, and watches in surprise.

Above Minato, a creature begins to materialize before their eyes. The creature was pale blue, and to contrast it's snow white hair, it wore a dark red scarf around his neck. It also carried a lyre on it's back.

_"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul, I come. I am Orpheus, master of strings."_ The creature named Orpheus says, before it lets out a cry.

xxx

"As we suspected..." Mitsuru tells Akihiko and the Chairman, as they watch from the command room.

xxx

Minako couldn't believe her eyes! This thing, it came from Minato! "Minato-kun..." She whispers in awe. However, the blue-haired boy is able to hear it. When he hears her voice, a sharp pain goes off in his head, and he falls to his knees. The gun falls out of his hands as he reaches up to clutch his head in pain.

"Minato...!" Minako yells as she rushes forward. She crouches down next to him, but when she places her hands on his shoulders, she recoils, and she too clutches her head.

_'Ugh! W-what is this strange surge of energy I'm getting?_' Minako thinks as the pain begins to subside. She then hears something step in front of her. Looking up, she sees Orpheus, who's watching her intently. He removes his eyes from her only once, and that's to look at the gun laying at Minato's feet.

_'Does it want me to... use it on myself...?'_ Minako carefully reaches for the gun and gingerly grabs it. She slowly places against her head, and looks up at Orpheus. He nods, silently urging her on.

She closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. She then utters the same word she heard Minato say,"Persona..." She pulls the trigger, and the same glass shattering, blue vortex surrounds her.

"She has one too...!" Yukari exclaims, as a female version of Orpheus begins to materialize above Minako. This Orpheus was gold, had long brown hair, and a heart-shaped lyre. She wore a red scarf as well.

_'Thou art I, and I am thou.' _ Minako's Orpheus says, before it turns to it's counter-part.

Both Orpheuses gaze at each other, before Minako's Orpheus merges into Minato's. Minato's persona then lets out another sharp cry, as something begins to emerge from it's head. The entity rips Orpheus apart into shreds. When it's fully visible, it let's out a screech, which sends another wave of pain in the heads' of the two transfer students.

This new entity has coffins chained on him, and he carries a long sword, which it uses as he begins to mercilessly attack the shadow. It crushes the shadow, and violently stabs it, until the it disappears in puff of black smoke. After it defeats the shadow, it reverts back into the two Orpheuses.

xxx

"What on earth was that?" Akihiko asks in astonishment, as both Mitsuru and Ikutsuki are at a loss for words.

xxx

Both Orpheuses return their owners, and disappear within them. All is quiet again, that is, until Yukari breaks the silence.

"Is it over...?" She asks, looking around. She gasps when she spots more shadows advancing towards them. Minato and Minako finally look up and spot them as well, and they quickly jump into action.

The two take their stances, the weapons Yukari gave them earlier, in their hands.

Minato attacks first, and since Minako has the gun, he can only use his sword. He runs up to the enemy, and lands a critical hit on it. "Hah!" He exclaims as he lands the finally blow on it.

The second shadow goes after Minako, and does a slash attack on her.

"Ugh...!" She cries, but quickly shakes it off. She points the gun at her head again, and shoots.

"Orpheus, bash!" She commands, as Orpheus appears and removes the lyre off it's back. It slams the instrument down on the shadow, instantly killing it.

The battle ends, and both teens feel a surge of energy inside them. But, as fast as that surge of energy came to them, it disappears, and both began feeling very weak. Their vision begins to get hazy, and they both fall unconscious.

Yukari gasps and rushes towards them. "Are you guys okay?" She asks, and begins to worry when she gets no response from either of them. "Come on, say something!"

Mitsuru and Akihiko come running up to her, "Are they alright?" The silver-head asks, and the brunette shakes her head.

"Can you hear me? Please... answer me!" Yukari tries again, but to no avail.

xxx

When Minato and Minako open their eyes, they find themselves in the Velvet Room again.

_'So it wasn't a dream after all...' _The blue-haired teen thinks to himself.

Igor smiles at them, "It's so nice to see you two again. You both became unconscious after awakening to your "power." ...It's nothing to worry about, though. So, just relax." He explains.

"By the way... I see that it was Orpheus that heeded both of your callings. That power is called a Persona. It's a manifestation of your psyche."

"Our psyche?" Minako questions, a confused look on her face.

"It may take some time to fully comprehend. A persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships. That being said, your power is still weak..."

"What do you mean?" Minato asks this time.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. In your case, you two are each other's strength."

"Master Minako," Theo speaks up when he sees that the two teens still don't fully understand, "Do you remember that surge of energy you got when touched Master Minato, after he summoned his persona?"

The ruby-eyed girl nods.

"Well, since you are each other's strength, when you two connected, your powers amplified. It strengthened so much, that you both were able to feel the power, even though you had yet to summon your persona."

"Precisely. Alone, you are weak, but together, you make a dangerous combo." Igor says as he folds his hands.

"However, there may be times when you two are unable to merge your powers together. Which is why I will tell you of another way you can strengthen your powers. Your ability will evolve as you develop your Social Links – your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please, remember that."

"Now then... time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then... farewell." The man says, as their vision becomes hazy again.

* * *

_After School_

_Sunday_

_April 19, 2009_

_

* * *

_

Minato stirs in his sleep, before his eyes slowly flutter open. He can feel his mind getting clearer, and he can also feel someone's gaze on him.

Upon opening his eyes, Minato hears someone in the room gasp. He slowly pushes himself up into a sitting position, and his eyes immediately land on Minako. She's laying on the bed across from his.

"You're awake!" She exclaims, a smile on her face. "How do you feel?"

The boy shrugs, "Okay, I guess. But, where are we?"

"A nurse told me that we're in Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's supposedly a short walk from the station... Anyway, the nurse also said that Yukari was here this morning, but left when she saw that are conditions hadn't changed. She said that Yukari usually comes to visit after school, so she should be here soon."

As if on cue, Yukari walks in, and instantly smiles when she notices that both had awaken.

"Thank goodness! You two finally came to!" She sighs, "How much sleep did you guys need? It's been a whole week! I was so worried about you two."

Yukari takes a seat on one of the chairs, "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with either of you. He said you guys were just exhausted... But, you two just kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was!"

She looks down at her lap, "Um, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything... Even though I was supposed to protect you two, I..." She looks up, "But, your powers... they were amazing."

"What did we do?" Minako asks.

"The power you both used... we call it 'Persona.' And those creatures you defeated are shadows – our enemy. We'll explain everything later, I'm just sorry I didn't tell either of you before."

She gets up and folds her hands behind her back, "I uh, I wanted to tell you both that... I'm sorta like you guys."

"What do you mean?" The blue-haired boy asks her.

"My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms. You're both all alone too, right? To be honest, I already know about your guys' past. But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine."

"It was back in '99. There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you two."

"Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help. It was my first time fighting them, too." She frowns, "I'm sorry, none of you would have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward..."

"It's not your fault." The two transfers students says simultaneously.

"Thanks, but still... And here I am telling you all this the minute you're both awake. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from them. As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth.'" She smiles.

"So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time. And now, I've told two people!" She gathers her things, "Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you both woke up. Bye!" Yukari waves, before she exits the room.

Minako bites her lip, "Um, Minato-kun? W-what did she mean by we're both all alone?"

The boy turns to her, "Oh, I never told you, huh? My parents... died when I was little. I have no family here, so I'm basically alone..."

The ruby-eyed girls frowns, "I-I'm sorry... I can relate, though. My parents passed away when I was just a kid too. And I don't have relatives either..."

A moment of silence passes between them, before Minako snaps her fingers, earning the boy's attention.

"Hey! Since we're both alone, why don't we be alone together? Err, actually, if we're together, then that means we wouldn't be alone anymore... Ah, you get my point!" She rubs the back of her head and smiles, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, would you like to be friends?"

Minato stares at her for a moment, before a small smile forms on his lips. "Sure, I'd like that..." He admits.

"R-really? Great! Then, I guess we're friends now!" She exclaims happily.

All of a sudden, a surge of energy begins to develop inside the two teens. When it passes, Minato looks up, "Did you feel that too?" He asks the girl, who nods.

"Yeah... Do you think that was what Igor was trying to tell us? About our power being stronger when we're together?"

The boy nods, "I think so..."

"Ya think every bond we make is going to give us a rush of energy like this?"

"Yeah. Igor said so himself, the stronger our social links are, the more powerful our persona ability."

"Hmm..." Minako hums, "You know, a lot has happened to us since we transferred here. Just thinking about everything makes my head hurt!" She rubs her temples, "I think I'm going to go back to sleep. You should too. We'll most likely be back on our feet by tomorrow morning, and we'll have to go back to school. We missed so much, we'll need all the rest we can get!"

She lays her head down on her pillow, "G'night!" She tells him, as she covers herself with her blankets.

"Night." Minato says, as he takes her advice, and falls back to sleep.

* * *

_A/N: So yeah, I decided to make them both have Orpheus as their persona. I didn't want to change it. Also, that rush of energy that they got when they decided to be friends, that was the forming of their bond. Kinda like a social link, but since there's no arcana for them... I just made it where their bond strengthens their ability, they're stronger together. Everything will make since later, I promise! _

_~Review Replies~_

_Randomizedthoughts: Hi, thanks for the review! ^^ Uh-huh, I plan to write this story till the end! I hope you stick around! :D And I also hope you liked this chapter!_

_Kaizer23: Hello, thank you for the kind review! I'm really glad you liked the previous chapter, and I really do hope you like this one as well. Yeah, I've since a lot of Fan fictions where they made them relatives as well. I believe they look better as a couple, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion! Well, thanks again! :D _

_caramelmilktea: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I made sure that I paid extra attention to my grammar, so I hope it's better this time! I also went back and edited the previous chapter. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well._

_Grey Soul: Hi, thanks for the review and for the alert! Yeah, I admit that I did kinda rush the beginning, sorry! ^^; I hope this chapter is better, and I also hope that the Magician shadow event was up to par with your expectations! Thanks again! :D_


	3. Junpei and Tartarus

_A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! I been extremely busy these last few weeks. But, I'd like to thank everyone that read and commented on the last chapter! I really hope you like this one as well. So far, this story has 15 alerts and 13 faves, but only 8 reviews? So please you guys, if you read this story leave a review! I don't care if it's just "cool story" or "good job", just please tell me what you think! Thanks~! :D _

_

* * *

_

_Early Morning_

_Monday_

_April 20, 2010_

_

* * *

_

The next morning, Minako and Minato headed to school together again. They felt a lot better, and were ready to start the day.

By the gates, they heard someone calling out to them. Looking around, they see Yukari walking up to them.

"Morning! You guys seem to be doing pretty well." She says with a smile.

"Yup! I'm feeling good as new!" Minako says as she gives the girl a thumbs-up. "Right, Minato-kun?" She looks over at the boy, who nods.

"That's good!" Yukari cheers, before her expression turns serious. "Hey, sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning, but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you two today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget!" She explains, before the bell rings. They all head into the school together.

* * *

_Morning_

_

* * *

_

Mr. Ono – History

"That's enough about mammoths... I don't see the big deal. They're just huge elephants!" Mr. Ono, the history teacher, says with a sigh.

"And that wraps it up for the Stone Age. I'm tired of lessons about stones... I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then! Though I'm paid to do this, so I've gotta... It's tough being an adult."

He looks down at his notes, "Next is, the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun! Fine, I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day." He takes a look around the class, and his eyes land on a student, "Hmm... hey, Junpei! What was the style of houses in the Jomon period called?"

"Uhh... how am I supposed to know about something way back then? Quick Minato, Minako! What the heck is he talking about! Someone give me the answer quick!"

"Um, mud huts?" Minako says, turning to Minato for confirmation.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the answer." He says with a nod.

"Okay then! Mud huts!" Junpei answers, and Mr. Ono nods.

"That's correct. Mud huts were built by digging a hole in the ground and supporting the roof." He sighs, "It's no use! I can't get interested. Ugh, I wanna get to the age of katanas. Everything else is so dull..."

"Hey...! I answered right, and I don't get any credit?" Junpei frowns, "Tch. Oh well. Thanks, you guys."

The class begins to whisper among themselves, "They told Junpei the answer. They're really smart!"

Minato and Minako could hear them, despite them whispering. It seemed they had become slightly more popular...

* * *

_After school_

_

* * *

_

"Guys, thanks for earlier." Junpei tells the two transfers students after class was over. "By the way, why were you two absent for so long? Did ya guys take a vacation together or something?" He says with a smirk.

Minako blushes, "No! We were both sick, and had to stay in bed!" She crosses her arms.

"In bed... together?" The capped boy laughs when the girl's blush deepens.

"Agh! Why do I even try!" She turns to the blue-haired boy. "Hey, Minato-kun. We should go home early today. It seems we'll be discussing something important at the dorms." Minako states, whispering the last bit so Junpei couldn't hear.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

"See ya later, Junpei. And you better not start any rumors, ya hear!" The ruby-eyed girl warns him as she and Minato make their way out of the class.

* * *

_Evening_

_

* * *

_

When the two teens return to the dorm, they notice that no one is in the lounge.

"They must all be on the 4th floor already." Minato says as he heads for the stairs. "We better not keep them waiting..."

"Yeah." Minako says as she follows the boy. They make their way up to the designated floor, and they spot Yukari waiting for them.

"Oh! You guys made it on time. Come on," She opens a door, and leads them inside.

Inside, the teens see Mitsuru, the Chairman, and another boy sitting around a table, which has a silver suitcase on it.

"Ah, you're both here. I'm glad that you two are okay." Ikutsuki says with a smile. "The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you both. Please, have a seat."

The two transfer students do as they're told, and take a seat next to one another on the couch.

"Oh, before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Ikutsuki says, as he motions to the silver-head seated next to him.

"How ya' doing?" Akihiko asks with a smile.

"Good, thanks." Minako answers for the both of them.

"Okay, let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" The chairman asks.

The ruby-eyed girl blinks, "Um... no." She replies.

"Do you remember the night you came here?" Mitsuru speaks up, "You had to have noticed the signs... The streetlights went out, nothing was working, and there were coffins everywhere. Didn't it feel like you were in a different time? That's the Dark Hour – a time period hidden between one day and the next."

"Hidden?" Minato asks.

"I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of. But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night at midnight. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come." Ikutsuki explains.

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins." Akihiko starts off, "But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting. You saw those creatures... we call them Shadows. They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?"

Mitsuru frowns, "Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just go hurt the other day!" The two Seniors glare at each other.

Ikutsuki intervenes, "Now, now. He does his work well." Mitsuru and Akihiko sigh and look away.

"Long story short," The chairman continues, "We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad – SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru's the leader, and I'm the club advisor."

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse." Mitsuru tells them. "They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

Minako tilts her head, "So, how do you fight them?"

Ikutsuki adjusts his glasses, "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona' - the power you both used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys."

"I see..." Minako nods.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand."

Mitsuru gets up, reaches for the silver suit case, and opens it. Two guns and two red arm bands are inside.

"What he's trying to say is, we want the both of you to join us. We've prepared an Evoker for each of you." She points to the guns. "We'd like you to lend us your strength."

The two teens turn to each other, and silently make their decision. They turn to Mitsuru and nod, "Alright." They say simultaneously.

Yukari lets out the breath she was holding, "I was afraid you guys would say no..." She smiles, "Welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much. I'm really glad." Ikutsuki says with a small bow.

Minato and Minako smile at their new teammates, before a mysterious voice rings in both of their heads.

_'Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana...'_

The mysterious voice fades away, and the two teens turn to look at each other. They feel their inner strength growing. This must be what Igor meant by Social Links...

Minato and Minako's thoughts are interrupted when Mitsuru hands them their evokers and arm bands.

"Keep these items close by, especially when we're conducting missions during the Dark Hour. Don't worry, we won't start with missions right now. You both need time to absorb all this new information, and you must be tired from your hospital stay, so why don't you two head to bed?" She suggests, and they do as they're told.

* * *

_Dark Hour_

_

* * *

_

Minato was sound asleep when he heard his door being opened. Opening his eyes, he spots Minako, who rubs the back of her head.

"Um, Minato-kun? Sorry to barge in, but there's someone who wants to talk to us..." The girls says, before she moves aside, revealing a little boy in black and white striped clothes.

"Hi, how are you?" The mysterious boys asks with a smile.

Minato turns to the girl, "Who is this?" He asks.

Minako shrugs, "I don't know. He woke me up and told me to come here to your room because he had something to tell us."

The boy takes a seat on Minato's bed, "We've all met before." He says, and the two teens realize that he's the boy they met on their first night in the dorm.

"Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell the both of you." He reveals to them.

"The end?" Minato asks, sitting up in bed.

"The end of everything." The boy frowns, "But to be honest, I don't really know what it is." He gets up from his sitting position.

"Oh, looks like you've both awakened to your powers... and such unusual powers indeed. Powers that take many forms, yet are bound by none. It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." The boys disappears, only to materialize at the foot of Minato's bed.

"Do you remember when we first met? I expect both of you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you both, even if you forget about me... Okay then, I'll see you two later." The boy disappears again.

Minako shakes her head, "Okay... That was definitely creepy..." She comments. "I going to head to bed now, that is, if I can get some sleep after seeing this." She smiles, "Good night, Minato-kun!" She exits his room, and returns to her own.

The blue-haired boy goes back to sleep, his thoughts still on the mysterious boy.

* * *

_April 21, 2009_

_Tuesday _

_Early Morning_

* * *

Minako exits her room and shuts her door. She smooths out her black skirt, before she places her hand on her mouth, stifling a yawn.

"Tired?" A voice calls out, startling her. She opens her eyes, and sees Minato standing next to the stairs, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, Minato-kun!" She smiles sheepishly as she makes her way over to him. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. This is kinda embarrassing to say but," She starts off, a dust of red on her cheeks. "I-I couldn't go back to sleep last night, after our meeting with that boy..." She admits.

The blue-haired boy lets out a soft chuckle. "Hey! Don't laugh...!" The girl exclaims, crossing her arms as a pout made its way onto her face.

Minato's smile grows, _'She's cute when she's mad...' _He thinks to himself before a blush spreads onto his cheeks when realization strikes him. _'Why did I just think that? That's not like me...' _He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"Just... try not to fall asleep in class again." He tells hers quietly as he quickly descends the stairs, trying to hide his blush from her.

Minako raises an eyebrow at his odd behavior before her eyes widen, "W-wait for me!" She quickly runs after him.

_Front Gates_

Once they arrived at school, Minato and Minako were greeted by Yukari. She waves, "Morning! Hey, I wanted to thank you two for yesterday. Akihiko-senpai's injured, and I was really uneasy about working alone with Mitsuru-senpai."

"Leave it to us." Minato says with a nod of his head.

The girl brightens up, "Yeah! Let's do our best together!" Her expression then changes and she frowns. "But, I wonder when Senpai's injury is going to heal..."

"Was Senpai hurt badly?" Minako asks, worried about the older male. He didn't seem to be in any discomfort when they met last night.

Yukari shakes her head, "He said that it wasn't a major injury." The ruby-eyed girl nods, before the bell rings and they head into the building.

* * *

_After School_

_

* * *

_

After class was over, Yukari turned around in her seat to face the two transfer students. She lets out a sigh as she rubs her eyes, "Ugh, I thought I was going to fall asleep..."

"You're telling me..." Minako mumbles, her head buried in her arms. Fatigue was catching up to her because of her lack of sleep. Her eyes were just beginning to close when she heard the door open. Lazily, she lifts up her head, and spots Mitsuru making her way towards them.

"Can I have a minute?" The red-head asks, and the three teens nod. "Come to the command room when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." She turns, and exits the room as quickly as she came.

"That was fast..." Minako mutters as she lays her head back down.

Yukari frowns, "She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us."

"Whoa, Yuka-tan!" Junpei exclaims as he make his way to their seats, "Do I sense some hostility?" He asks, his eyebrow raised.

The girl lets out a sigh, "Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just..." She trails off with a shrug. She then gets up and grabs her things, "I better head to practice, I'll see you two at the dorm." She leaves.

"I guess it's time for Junpei to hit the old dusty trail too." The capped boy says. "I've got some stuff to take care of... See you two soon!" He smiles and leaves as well.

Minato shakes his head, "Guess it's just you and me..." He says as he turns to the girl next to him. He flinches when he hears her snoring softly. "Ugh... I told you not to fall asleep!" He mutters as he begins the tedious task of trying to wake her up.

_Evening_

Minato held the door open for Minako, who was slowly making her way in.

"I hope this meeting doesn't take too long. I just want to get to bed!" The girl whines as she heads for the stairs. "And why do we have to meet at the command room, and not here in the lounge. It's too many steps to climb, and I'm SO tired!"

"Hey, you guys made it on time!" A voice comes from the dining room. Yukari walks into the lounge, a cup in her hand. "Here, Minako. Maybe this will give you some energy. You'll need it because I have a feeling this meeting is going to take a while." She hands the girl the cup.

"Thanks, Yukari!" Minako swirls the brown liquid, before sipping some. She instantly brightens, "Hey, I'm feeling better!"

Minato smiles, "Now you can walk up to the 4th floor, right?" He asks, and the girl gives him a thumbs up.

The trio makes their way to the command room, and when they enter they notice Akihiko and Mitsuru are already there.

"Welcome back." The red-head greets them.

"We were waiting for you. There's someone I wanna introduce." Akihiko says as he makes his way to the door.

The three younger teens glance at each other in confusion.

"Hey, hurry up." The silver-head teen calls out into the hallway.

The sound of wheels on the floor is heard, as well as a voice. "Hold your horses... This is freakin' heavy." Akihiko returns into the room, with none other than Junpei behind him.

The capped boy places his bags down and chuckles, "Wazzup?" He grins at the shocked expressions on the teens' faces.

"J-JUNPEI! Why are YOU here?" Yukari exclaims with a frown.

"Oh, so you all know each other already, huh?" Akihiko asks.

Yukari scoffs, "Barely. But, why is he here?"

"Junpei will be staying here as of today." The older male explains, and Yukari's eyes widen more.

"What! He's staying HERE? You've gotta be kidding me!"

The silver-head shakes his head, "I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

Yukari is shocked, "You have the potential! For real?"

Junpei nods, "He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal... in the beginning. Like being confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

"Uh huh." Minako answers. It never happened to her or Minato, but she was going to tell that to Junpei.

"Oh... that's good. You should, since you're a persona-user." He smiles, "But man, was I shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea! I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right? Havin' me join..."

Yukari winces slightly, "Uh y-yeah..." She answers with a weak smile.

"Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready..." Akihiko says, just as the Chairman walks in.

"Okay," The older man starts off, "Everybody's here. I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to six. Therefore, starting tonight at 12:00 AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Tartarus?" Junpei scratches his head, "What's that? Sounds like toothpaste."

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari asks him, and the boy shakes his head.

Ikutsuki folds his hand on his lap, "It's no surprise, since it only appears during the Dark Hour."

The capped boy tilts his head, "The Dark Hour?"

"Just like the Shadows. Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest." The silver-head Senior explains.

"Whoa..." Junpei drawls out in awe. "Their nest, huh?"

Yukari looks over at her Senpai in concern, "But, Senpai... what about your injury?"

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance." Mitsuru answers.

Akihiko sighs, "Yeah, I know."

The brown-eyed girl is still uneasy, "I'm not so sure about this..."

Junpei punches the air with his fist, "Relax! I've got your backs!" He says with a confident smile.

Mitsuru turns to Ikutsuki, "What about you, Mr. Chairman?"

"I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona..."

"Okay then. Does everyone have their evokers and equipment?" The members nod, "Then, let's head to Tartarus."

_Late Night_

_Gekkoukan High School – Front Gate_

Junpei looks around at his surroundings, "This is it? THIS is the place? Why HERE?" He asks, seeing nothing of interest.

Akihiko pulls out his cell, "Just wait a few minutes... It's almost midnight." He counted down and when the clock striked twelve, the night of the transfer students' arrival replayed.

_Dark Hour_

The sky turned a dark green, and the clouds parted to reveal and eerie, yellow moon. The streetlights went out, and a screeching sound made the newest members of SEES turn to look at their school.

It was as if the school was completely torn apart, and placed together again with buildings sticking out here and there. The school was now a giant tower, intimidating those below.

"This is Tartarus." Mitsuru speaks up, while the three newbies gaze at the tower with amazement. "It's the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour."

Junpei shook his head, obviously not believing this. "Labyrinth...? What are you talking about? What happened to our school?"

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal." The red-head explains.

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about? But, why? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower?"

Mitsuru stays quiet. "You don't know, either?"

The Senior finally lets out a quiet, "No."

"I'm sure it's complicated." Yukari adds.

Akihiko looks up at the tower, "Well, maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour..."

"Akihiko," Mitsuru turns to her classmate, "I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today.

The Senior frowns, "I know... you don't have to remind me."

_Tartarus_

The SEES members enter the tower.

"Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside..." Junpei exclaims as he runs around like a child.

"But, it sure is creepy..." Yukari says as she looks at her surroundings.

"This is only the entrance. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." Mitsuru explains.

Akihiko turns to them, "First, we'll have you four get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

Yukari gasps, "What! By ourselves?"

"We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here with these." Mitsuru hands each of them an ear-piece.

"We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions."

"For real? One of us?" Junpei's eyes light up, "Oh! Oh! ME! ME! ME! Pick me!"

Akihiko eyes skim over Junpei and land on Minato. "Minato, you're in charge."

The capped boy frowns, "W-wait! Why him? He doesn't look like a leader!"

"He'll be First in command, meaning you'll take orders from him as long as he's around. If he's not available, then Second in Command will be leader..."

Junpei raises his hand, "Oh! I'll be Second! It's not as great as First, but I'll still get to give orders!"

Akihiko looks at him, "Sorry, but Minako will be Second in Command."

"Seriously? But, she's a girl!"

"So what if she's a girl? Just because she's not a male, doesn't mean she's won't be fit for the job." Mitsuru scolds the boy.

"It makes sense that they're the leaders. After all, they have fought them before." Yukari tells Junpei.

"Really?" He turns to the two transfer students.

"That's true, but there's another reason." Akihiko pulls out his Evoker and places it against his head, "You two. Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties like them?"

"Y-yeah, of course I can!" Junpei says as he crosses his arms.

"I think so..." Yukari says.

The Senior lowers his Evoker. "These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed."

"I'm aware of that."

"All right, let's head inside. Are you ready, Minato, Minako?"

"We're ready." The two leaders answer simultaneously.

"That's the spirit."

They make their way towards the entrance, but something catches the eyes of the leaders. A strange door is sitting in the corner of the lobby.

"What's the matter?" Yukari asks when she notices the two teens wondering off.

Minako and Minato look down at their hands, and see the Velvet Keys shining in their hands. The keys come together and fit into the door's keyhole as if it was being sucked in...

_Velvet Room_

The two teens open their eyes, and are greeted by Igor. "I've been waiting for you. The time has come for you to wield your powers. The tower that you are about to venture into... how did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?"

Minato and Minako turn to each other, sharing a shrug.

"Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your powers."

"The nature of our power?"

"Your powers are unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You are both able to possess multiple Personas and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibilities before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your powers will grow accordingly. Be sure to keep that in mind."

"My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again on your own accords. I'll tell you then about my true role... the manner in which I can best assist you two. Until then, farewell."

The room begins to fade, and when the teens opened their eyes again, they found themselves back in the lobby of Tartarus.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Yukari asks, as she and Junpei come up from behind them.

"Yeah, what's up? You two look like zombies." Junpei adds.

Minako motions behind them, "We opened this door, and..." She trails off when the two teens give them weird looks.

"Huh? What door?" The brunette looks around.

"Man, are you guys loco?" The capped boy says twirling his finger against his forehead in the "crazy" gesture.

The two transfer students look at one another, before sharing a shrug, for it seems they are unable to see the door.

"Have you guys been nodding off? You both seem kinda out of it." Yukari says, giving them a concerned look.

"Dudes, you're s'posed to be our leaders! Get your heads in the game!" Junpei tells them, shaking them by their shoulders.

Minato sighs, "Fine, forget it. Let's just get going." He heads towards the stairs, the others following at his heels.

"Are you ready?" Mitsuru asks them.

"Yeah." The blue-haired leader says with a nod.

"Okay. Be careful." She offers them some last minute advice, before the group enters the labyrinth, not knowing what was in store for them.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry if some parts are a bit rushed, I just wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible. Next chapter will be the exploration of Tartarus! _

_~Rewiew Replies~ _

_Grey Soul: Hey, thanks for the input! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I think you're going to have to wait for some of your questions to be answered! :D But, as for their compendiums, they will share one. Both are able to use each others' personas, but they cannot share the one they are currently equipped with. I hope that makes sense, and answers your question. Thanks again, and I hope you like this chapter as well._

_codename710: Hi, thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and the summoning part! :D I hope you like this chapter as well. Also, Minako likes Minato as a friend right now, but things will slowly change for the two of them! ^^_

_Kaizer23: Hey, thanks for the review! Ah, you're going to have to wait a bit longer for those questions to be answered! ;D But, don't worry, it'll all make sense soon! Well, I hope you like this chapter too~! ^^ _


	4. Exploring Tartarus

_A/N: Hey, sorry for the late update! I had trouble writing this chapter, since this part of the game is just a tutorial for fighting, and all the enemies are weak against fire. I tried to add some things into the battle so they wouldn't get too boring. But, anyway, short chapter this time, so I hope you like it! :D _

* * *

_Tartarus - Thebel 2F_

* * *

The area they were in was the same shade of green as the sky outside. The floors had a checkered pattern, with red, presumably blood, spatters here and there.

"So this is it, huh?" Junpei asks, swinging his katana as he looks at his surroundings.

Yukari grips her bow, "I hope I don't get lost..."

Minako gives the girl a thumbs-up, "Don't worry, Yukari! Nothing bad will happen as long as we all stick together!" She gives her a smile, though she can't help but feel nervous herself.

However, the comforting words help alleviate some of her anxiousness, and Yukari returns the smile.

_"Can you all hear me?"_ Mitsuru's voice flows into their ear-pieces.

"Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?" Junpei asks.

_"I'll be providing audio backup from here on out."_

"Wait... Ya mean, you can see inside here?" The capped boy asks again.

_"It's my Persona's ability."_ The red-head replies. _"I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative."_

Yukari frowns, "Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better..." She sarcastically says.

_"Now,"_ Mitsuru continues, _"Based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."_

Affirmatives are said, before Yukari lets out a sigh. "Why is she always like that...?" She mutters.

Everyone gets into their positions, before Mitsuru comes onto the line again. _"Let's begin. Keep in mind, these are real battles you'll be engaging in. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor."_

"Okay, leader, lead the way!" Junpei says, as he grins at Minato.

The blue-haired boy nods, before surveying his surroundings, trying to figure out the best route. A glimmering object not far from where they were stationed caught his eye.

He moves towards it, and the others didn't hesitate in following him. As they got closer, he notices that the object was a briefcase.

"A briefcase? What's this doing here?" Minako asks, when they stop before the object.

_"These cases contain helpful items."_ Mitsuru explains. _"Try to open all that you happen to come across."_

Doing as she said, Minato opens the case. Inside, there's a small bottle. _"That's a Snuff Soul. It restores a small amount of SP. You waste SP when using skills with your Persona. I'll explain that more later. Now, proceed with your mission."_

The four teens walk down the halls a bit more, before Minato stops again. "Hey, what's the hold up?" Junpei asks him.

"A Shadow." The boy replies simply.

"What! Already?" Yukari exclaims, looking around for said enemy.

_"Arisato is correct. I detect a Shadow in front of you! Move in and hit it before it attacks you!"_

Minato turns to the other teens, "Once I attack it, you three quickly surround it." He commands, and the others nod in understanding.

The First In Command turns and watches as the Shadow slowly makes it way towards them. The black creature moves using it's long arms to drag itself on the ground, it's red eyes gazing upon them.

Yukari lets out a shaky breath, _'It's getting closer..! Why aren't we doing anything!' _She thinks to herself as the Shadow continues to make it's way over to them.

Minako, who senses the girl's urgency, turns to her. "Hey, like I said, there's no need to worry! I trust Minato, and you should too. He knows what he's doing..." The archer nods, and is surprised when she sees the Shadow turn it's back on them. She was sure that it had seen them!

With his sword at his side, Minato quickly rushes after the Shadow. He swings his sword and strikes it, startling the creature. "Now!" He yells, and the other SEES members quickly circle the enemy.

This particular Shadow had no reinforcements, it was just a single blob wearing a light blue mask.

"_Takeba has informed me about your powers."_ Mitsuru says, directing her statement to the two leaders. _"But nevertheless, you two have minimal combat experience. I'll explain the basics of battle." _

"_The primary offensive options available to you in battle are 'Attack' and 'Skill'. 'Attack' corresponds to the weapon you have equipped, while 'Skill' relates to your Persona's abilities. Though skills consume either stamina or spiritual power, SP which I mentioned before, they tend to have a greater effect. You whichever option best suits the situation."_

"_Keeping attacking until you've defeated the enemy, but pay careful attention to your stamina. Okay, now I want you to defeat the enemy before you."_

With the enemy surrounded, Minato attacks first. He runs up to the shadow and does a slash attack on it. The enemy takes damage but it's still standing. The shadow then turns to Yukari and slashes her on the legs.

"Ahh!" The brunette cries, caught off guard. She shakes her head, and quickly recovers.

Minako steps up next and pulls out her Evoker. "Orpheus, bash!" She calls and her persona obeys her commands. Orpheus pulls her lyre off her back and smashes it onto the shadow, killing it.

"_A complete victory... Great job!" _Mitsuru congratulates them, but Junpei frowns.

"Awh, man! You guys kill it before I got my turn!" He pouts, and the leaders shrug their shoulders.

"There's plenty of other shadows for you to kill!" Minako says before turning to Yukari. "Hey, how's your leg?"

Yukari smiles, "It's fine, thanks! Next time, I'm going to give the shadow a piece of my mind!" The Second in Command smiles back.

"Okay, let's keep moving." Minato commands, and they make their way down a hallway. As they were about to round a corner, Mitsuru's voice stops them.

"_There should be a staircase nearby. Do you see it? A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor. I can't allow you to go any higher today, but please remember about it next time."_

The party continues on their way, and head into another hallway. As they slowly make their way though, they see another shadow crawling around up ahead. _"You'll be at a disadvantage if the enemy gets the first hit in, so try to surprise your opponents and strike first." _Mitsuru advises them.

Minato rushes forward, and attacks the enemy when it has it back towards them. The team is faced with two shadows this time. _"They're are different attack properties. With my power, I can analyze an enemy to determine which properties you should, and shouldn't, use. Just ask me when you wish to analyze an enemy, but keep in mind that it will take me some time."_

The blue-haired leader nods, and decides to try it out. "Analyze." He asks, and Mitsuru does as she is told.

"_Roger, I'll attempt to analyze the enemy." _

While the data is being collected, Minato attacks the first shadow with his sword. As he returns to his place, the second shadow lunges towards Junpei, and attacks him. The boy yells out in frustration as he takes damage.

The first shadow then attacks Minato with a critical slash attack. "Agh!" The leader cries as he's pushed back by the force, and falls onto one knee.

"Minato-kun!" The Second in Command cries, but doesn't have time to check on him when the same shadow comes after her. Minako winces as the shadow attacks her, but recovers in time to hear the info Mitsuru had collected.

"_This particular shadow is a Cowardly Maya. It weak against fire attacks, use Agi!" _The Senior tells her.

Minako pulls out her Evoker again, and calls out Orpheus. "Agi!" She commands. The golden persona strums her lyre, and a flame ignites the Maya. The shadow falls down, and Minako gets the chance to attack again. "Orpheus, Agi!" The persona does her attack again, knocking the second enemy down as well.

"_Good! Now, the entire team can attack simultaneously in an All-Out Attack!" _

"Attack!" Minako commands since the current leader was down. She, Yukari, and Junpei lunge toward the shadows. Yukari snipes the Mayas from afar, while Minako and Junpei repeatedly stabbed them with their weapons. When their assaults end, not a single shadow is standing.

After the battle was over, Minako quickly rushes over to Minato, and helps him up. "Are you okay?" She asks him. He nods, and gives her a small smile.

"_If you wish, ask Takeba to heal you before you enter another battle." _Mitsuru suggests, and Minako nods.

"Can you please heal him, Yukari?" She asks the brunette, who nods. Taking out her Evoker, she calls out her persona Io, and casts a dia on Minato.

"Better?" Junpei asks the blue-haired leader. He nods, and Junpei grins. "Good, now let's get moving! I saw something shiny up ahead, might be an item!"

The team round a corner and spot the briefcase Junpei was talking about. Opening it, they find a medicine bottle.

"More healing items... When are we going to get something cool, like a sword! A huge sword for Junpei!" The capped boys sighs.

"Hey, you'll never know when you'll need to be healed!" Yukari fires back.

"Hm, I guess..." The boy mutters.

Going down another hallway, Mitsuru warns the team about a nearby shadow. "_Use the map as you explore. Items and shadows will be shown on there."_

Carefully, the team sneaks behind the shadow, and surround it. The blob splits into three Cowardly Mayas.

"No problem! Remember that they're weak against fire!" Minako tells the First in Command. Taking her advice, Minato summons Orpheus. The pale blue persona ignites all the Mayas with Agi, knocking them all down.

"Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Yukari exclaims, and Minato gives them the go ahead.

"Let me at them!" The archer cries, as the SEES members rush in and attack the shadows. Their assault destroys all the Mayas, and they win the battle.

All of a sudden, time seems to stop as four cards appear in the minds of the leaders.

"Whoa... where did these cards come from?" Minako thinks to herself, and is shocked to hear Minato's voice in her mind.

"These are probably the 'faces of possibilities' Igor was talking about." One of the cards had a pixie on it, two of them had a small gold nugget on it, and the last one had a sword. Suddenly, the cards flipped over, and began to shuffle themselves.

"You mean, you can see them too?" Minako asks, keeping her eyes on the cards.

"Yeah. Try and see if you can get the pixie."

"Um, if you say so." The brunette focused her power on the card she believed was the persona, and grasped it. The card flipped over, and revealed the small fairy.

**You have chosen the card with the Persona Pixie! You have welcomed Pixie into your hearts...**

Pixie is absorbed into them, and a surge of energy develops inside of them both.

"We've leveled up." Minato explains.

"And now we have a new persona!" Minako cries. "This is so cool~!" She exclaims, just as reality is starting back up again.

Junpei turns to her and gives her a funny look. "Jeez, Mina-tan! You get way too excited about killing shadows..." He says, having heard her outburst.

The girl smiles sheepishly, _'Of course... I should have guessed that they wouldn't be able to see this either...' _

"On a different matter, it seems that my skill level has increased!" Yukari says with a proud smile.

"Junpei's da man! He's leveled up too!" The capped boy grins.

"Oh, look who's all excited about killing shadows now!" Minako teases the boy, who just shrugs.

"Hey, there's another briefcase over there!" Yukari points down the hall, and the team goes after it. Another Snuff Soul was there for their taking.

"Come on, I want to train some more!" Junpei exclaims, and the team heads down another passage way. They headed into a large clearing, and were stopped by Mitsuru again.

"_I detect a Shadow up ahead... now that you've been healed, try to take out this enemy as well."_

Minato strikes the shadow, and starts yet another battle. The team is against four Cowardly Mayas this time, so recalling their weakness, the blue-haired leader calls out Orpheus.

"Orpheus, Agi!" He orders, and the persona does as he's told. The Mayas can only watch as Orpheus begins a chain of Agi, knocking them all down.

"Here's our chance! Let's get 'em!" Junpei exclaims, and Minato nods. "Get back here, you son of a-!" The capped boy yells as the SEES members unleash attack after attack on the Mayas.

"_Great job!" _Mitsuru's voice echos through their ear-pieces, but her voice is inaudible to the leaders for three cards made their way into their minds.

"Look, pixie is there again!" Minako points out, and the First in Command nods.

"I don't think we can pick her again, after all, we already have her and since we're each others strength, we can share her power." Minato looks at the other cards, and notices that they both have a sword on it.

"I'm guessing we have to pick one of the weapons, huh? Why don't you give it a try this time?" Minako suggests to the boy.

Minato watches as the cards begin to shuffle, and easily picks out one of the weapons.

**You've obtained a practice bow...**

"Cool, I'm sure Yukari could use this if her's wears out. Looks like Junpei isn't getting a new weapon yet!"

Back in reality, Yukari and Junpei seem to have leveled up again.

"Ta da da da! I'm da man!" Junpei exclaims, excited to have reached a new level. The team then ventures forward a bit and end up in an intersection.

"_... That's odd. Usually, there are more Shadows on the prowl..." _Mitsuru pauses, _"Well, at least you gained some experience in battle. Let's go back to the dorm for today. There should be an Access Point somewhere on that floor. You can use it to return to the entrance. Since there aren't any enemies to worry about, why don't you split up and search individually? Just tell the other party members what you'd like them to do." _

Minato turns to the group, "Okay, let's split up and look for the Access Point." He says simply, and the others nod.

Junpei and Yukari head to the right, while the leaders head left.

"So, what do you think this Access Point looks like?" Minako asks as they walk down the hallway.

"Something like that, I'm guessing." Minato says as he points to a glowing green machine.

"Huh. Well, glad we found it so quick. We should regroup."

Minato holds his finger against his ear-piece, "Senpai, regroup."

"_Right. Everyone, return to the leader!" _She sends the message to the other members, who quickly make their way back to them.

"Hey, you found it! Ah, I can't wait to head back." Yukari says as she walks up to them.

"Dudes, I found something!" Junpei says as he hands Minato the item. "It's a medicine. I was bummed out, I thought it was a weapon for me..." He says with a sigh.

"Come on, let's go. Senpai are probably waiting for us." Yukari says, and all four of them step into the platform.

* * *

_1F_

* * *

The SEES members open their eyes, and find themselves back on the first floor.

"Whoa, being warped is awesome!" Junpei exclaims, with a huge smile. The teens then head over to where Mitsuru and Akihiko were waiting, and the red-head welcomes them back. "So, how was it?" She asks them.

"No problem!" Minako says, as she gives the older woman a thumbs-up.

She chuckles, "I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved.

Junpei grins, "Wow... I never knew I had that kind of power! We kicked some ass!" He then sighs, "But damn, I'm beat..."

Yukari frowns at him, "That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid."

"Yeah well, you look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan." He fires back.

The brunette looks away, "I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually..."

The red-head crosses her arms, "That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry though, you'll adapt. But, I'm surprised... You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko." She says, turning to look at her classmate.

The boxer smirks, "Heh, we'll see about that."

All of a sudden, time seems to stop once again.

**Crack. **

A mysterious voice rings in the heads of the leaders as the Fool card appears before them.

_**Thou art I... And I am thou... Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana... **_

Time resumes, and Minato and Minako share a glance. Their SEES Social Link had reach a new level. So, not only have they gotten closer to the other members, but their power has also increased. They both wanted to try out and see how much it had increased, but they were too tired, and the others were as well.

They decided to head back to the dorm, after all, they still had school tomorrow...

* * *

_A/N: So there you have it! I promise the next chapter will be better! :D Please review~_

_~Review Replies~ _

_**Codename710**: Hey, thanks for the review! Sorry this update was so late D: Oh, yeah! I read your Persona Fanfic and I think it's great so far! :D I really like how you introduced the Female Main Character, or in your story, Shia. I also liked how Pharos kept saying that his other half was coming! Very Creative! And when Pharos messed with Minato's phone was my favorite part ;D Hmm, the only problems I found were some mistakes in grammar and punctuation. If you edited out the mistakes, your story would be perfect! Well, I hope you like this chapter, and I hope you update your story soon because I want to know what happens next! _

_**blazingreaper**: Hi, thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! :D I really hope you like this chapter aw well! ;)_

_**Kaizer23**: Yeah, you're right that nothing interesting happening in the last chapter, and probably nothing interesting happens in this chapter either! D: But, I promise that things will get better! Yes, their Persona capacity is shared, Minato evaluates on that in this chapter. Also the shuffle time is explained as well, they each get the card. Thanks for your support! :D I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry for the late update! Hope you like this chapter~ _

_**Axuaq570Iza**: Thanks for the review! Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long! D: Thanks, I'm glad you like how I'm handling things! :D Thanks for the support, and I hope you like this chapter as well!_

_**Vivi239: **Hey, thanks for the review~! Yeah, I waited for one too, but the only ones I found were about Minato and Minako being twins. I didn't like that, they're more like a couple than twins, so I decided to write my own! :D Thanks again, and I hope you like this chapter~!_

_**Grey** **Soul**: Hi there again~! :D No problem, I hope this chapter answers any other questions you may have! As for their Social Links, I plan to have some events together and some separate. Yeah, I tried to work on the interaction in this chapter, but like you said, the game doesn't really give you many choices. Thanks, I'm glad you liked the chapter though! I hope you find this chapter a bit better than the last! :D _

_**Miroki**: Hey, thanks for the review! I'm really glad you're liking the story so far~! :D Hope you like this chapter as well! _

_**SteFannni**: Hi there! :D Thanks so much, I'm glad you like the story! I'm sorry for the late update, but I really hope you like this chapter as well! _

_**SeitoYagami**: Hi to you as well! Thanks so much, I'm glad you're liking the story so far! :D Ah, yeah I saw the mistakes you were talking about and I fixed them! Thanks for telling me! Yeah, for the Social Links I was planning to have some scenes were Minako and Minato level up a link together, and some scenes were they level up the link separately. I promise all will make sense so enough! Thanks again for your support, and I hope you like this chapter! (I also doubled checked on the grammar this time! But, if you find any mistakes please tell me about them!)_

_**Masami** **Kyoko**: Hey, thanks for the review~! :D Haha, you're just going to have to wait and see what happens when they meet Ryoji! XD I really hope you like this chapter! _


	5. Kurosawa and Café

_A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the late update! Had somewhat of a tough time trying to write this chapter. Also, I re-read the last chapter and I wasn't too happy with it. I hated how I wrote the fighting parts, they were so boring! **I'm no good at fighting scenes, so I was wondering if someone was interested in collabing with me, and helping me write this story.** **Of course, I will write out the dialogue and everything else, I just need someone to help me write out the fighting scenes! So, if you're interested, please send me a PM! Thanks~! :D**_

_P.S. Nothing really interesting happens in this chapter, just kinda stalling till I find someone interested in helping me write those fighting bits! Enjoy nonetheless~! :)_

* * *

_Early Morning_

_Wednesday_

_April 22, 2009_

* * *

Minato looks out the window of the monorail, and watches the scenery pass by as he taps his fingers against his knee to the beat of his music. He removes his eyes from the window once, and that's to look at the sleeping brunette girl next to him, her red earphones dangling around her neck.

The blue-haired boy shakes his head, and returns his attention back to the window. '_Is there a time when this girl isn't asleep?' _He thinks to himself, and begins to gather his things when the school comes into view.

When the monorail comes to a halt and the doors open, Minato gets up from his seat and makes his way out, forgetting all about his classmate.

XXX

Minako feels a small tap on her shoulder, causing her to stir in her sleep before letting her eyes slowly flutter open.

"Morning, sleepy-head." She hears a voice say. Looking up, her eyes land on Akihiko. The silver-head boxer is smirking at her, his black jacket slung over his shoulder.

The girl's red eyes widen, and she quickly bolts up from her seat, bowing slightly to the Senior. "Ah! Akihiko-senpai!" She exclaims, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I guess I fell asleep on the ride over here!"

The Senior gives her a small smile and shakes his head. "It's fine. I didn't even know we were on the same train, till I saw you asleep here. You do know that everyone has gotten off already, right?" He says, and the girl takes a look around.

He was right. All the other students were gone, and it was just the two of them. Minako begins to panic, "Oh no, we're not late to class, right?"

Akihiko shakes his head again, "Nah, we still have some time left before the bell rings." He says as he picks up the girl's school bag and hands it to her. She smiles in thanks, and the two exit the monorail.

When they're in front of the gates, Minako looks up at the silver-head and apologizes again for causing him trouble.

But he just smiles. "It's alright. I understand why you might be out of it, things have been crazy these past couple of days. You must be confused since you've just transferred here too."

The girl gives him a thumbs-up and smiles, "Don't worry, I'm alright!" She tells him confidently.

Akihiko chuckles lightly, "Wow, that's impressive. You're completely different from Junpei. On the other hand, I'm so bored that I feel like I'm going to die..."

His expression suddenly changes and his voice lowers to a whisper, "Hey, is there any way I can sneak in on the fight? Maybe I could get past Mitsuru if I wear Junpei's hat?"

Before she could reply, the older student lets out a sigh, "...No, never mind. The consequences wouldn't be worth it..." His shoulders slump in defeat, and Minako pats him on the back in a comforting way.

The silver-head brightens up a bit, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I guess I'm just going to have to wait till I'm fully healed. It's gonna be a pain, but I'll deal. Anyway, I should get going. See you later." He nods to her, before turning and heading into the school.

Minako was about to get going herself, but she spots a certain blue-haired boy talking to another student. Getting closer to them, she over-hears part of their conversation.

"Man, I knew it." The brunette boy with Minato says with a sigh, "I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san. What's up with that? Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway. By the way, I'm Kenji Tomochika."

Minato nods in acknowledgment, and it is then that Minako decides to make her presence known. She walks up to them and stops next to her fellow dorm mate, slinging her arm around his shoulders casually.

"Made a new friend, Minato-kun?" She says to him, before giving Kenji a smile. She then tightens her grip on his shoulders, "Maybe you should of waken up your _other friend_ and tell _her_ that it's time to get off the monorail first!" She angrily says, glaring at the boy next to her.

Minato frowns and breaks away from her grip, which was becoming uncomfortably tight. "Hey, I've already woken you up many times before! Do you know how hard it is to get you to wake up?" He fires back.

"So? You can't just leave me like that!" Minako exclaims, her glare intensifying. The boy glares back, and Kenji can't help but feel out of place. "Um," He speaks up, breaking the glaring match between the SEES leaders. "There's a morning assembly today so... we better start heading over there!" He says, and the two other teens grumble to themselves. The three students head into the school nevertheless.

* * *

_Auditorium_

* * *

Minato and Minako quickly enter the auditorium, and take a seat next to Yukari and Junpei. Looking up at stage, they spot Mitsuru and another student. The student was at the podium, speaking into the microphone.

"...That concludes the main portion of today's assembly. Next we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President, Mitsuru Kirijo from Class 3-D."

The crowd begins to applaud as the student steps aside and Mitsuru takes her place at the podium.

"Thank you." Mitsuru says, folding her arms.

In the crowd, Yukari speaks up. "So, she did get elected. Well... I guess she IS the most popular girl in school."

Junpei smiles, "You can say that again! There's like some kinda aura around her... Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?" He asks, and the archer nods.

On stage, Mitsuru had begun her speech. "As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal."

"I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you." She ends her speech, and the crowd erupts into cheers and applause.

Junpei's jaw drops, "Dang... That was freaking amazing!" He says in awe. He then turns the blue-haired boy next to him. "So... do you have any idea what she just said?" He asks.

Minato shrugs, "Sort of." He replies, and the capped boy shakes his head.

"Sure didn't sound like somethin' a high-schooler would say... If it was anyone else, we'd be laughin' our asses off. What about you Mina-tan?"

Minako rubs the back of her head, "Not a clue!" She confesses.

Junpei laughs, "Me neither! We live in the same dorm, but it's like we're on different planets... Man, if she asks for my opinion, I don't know what I'll say..." He trails off, looking uncertain.

The three other teens silently agree with Junpei, hoping that Mitsuru would not ask them what they thought about her speech. The teachers then began to round up their classes, and escort them back to class.

* * *

_Afternoon_

_Composition – Ms. Toriumi_

* * *

Ms. Toriumi sat at her desk, skimming through the pages of a book. When she found what she was looking for, she turned her attention back to her students. "All right, today we'll be going over Meiji-era literature. Open your textbooks to page 12." She tells them, and the students pull out their books and open them to the designated page. They look back at her for further directions, but she just shakes her head.

"You know what?" She starts off, closing her book and dropping it back on her desk. "I'm tired of these textbooks. I just went over this novel in the last class!" She then brightens up, "I've got a great poem we can cover instead! Close your textbooks everyone, and listen." She gets up and and stands in the front of the class.

She clears her throat and begins, "_'Isolated cloud suspended over the tall snowy mountain peak...'_"

Minako cups her face in her hands, a bored expression on her face. _'Ugh... this is SO boring! I just want to sleep, but knowing Minato-kun, he'll probably just leave me like he did this morning...' _She thinks to herself with a sigh.

The red-eyed girl then decides to stays awake and listen to the poem. Stanza by stanza, Minako finds herself actually liking the poem, and she felt herself get smarter for some reason. She turns to Minato, and it seemed like he was enjoying it as well.

**Your Academics have increased...**

All of a sudden, Ms. Toriumi's eyes land on the boy Minato had befriended earlier. "All right Kenji, you'd better not be sleeping back there!" She yells, startling the boy out of his stupor. "You should be ashamed of yourself, taking a nap while I pour my heart into reading this poem! For that, you get another essay along with your regular assignment tonight! I'll expect a slice of cake when you turn it in, too!" The teacher tells him, and Kenji nods obediently.

Upon hearing the boy's punishment for sleeping in class, Minako winces. _'That could have been me!' _She thinks, inwardly glad that she had decided to stay awake...

* * *

_After School_

* * *

Minato and Minako had put their little dispute behind them, and were about to head to the dorm when they ran into Junpei. The three of them decided to head home together, but when they reached the front gates, they noticed some kind of commotion going on.

"LOOK, IT'S AKIHIKO-SENPAI~!" An Akihiko fangirl shouts, pointing to the silver-head.

"WAIT FOR US!" Another fan yells, and she and a whole group of other girls run after the boxer. However, Akihiko doesn't seem to acknowledge them though.

Junpei adjusts his hat, "Man, would you look at that? I hear they're always swarming Akihiko-senpai like that. I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but... I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they're going...?"

All of a sudden, Akihiko turns and makes his way over to the trio, his fans quickly trailing after him. "Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?" He asks.

"Huh? W-who us?" Minako mumbles, suddenly feeling nervous as the fangirls begin to glare at her. They hate it when _their_ Senpai talks to a girl that isn't them...

The silver-head nods, "I want the three of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the police station. See ya there." He explains curtly, and makes his way to leave, but Junpei stops him.

"Wait! Th-The police station? ...Uh, are your friends gonna come along too?"

Akihiko frowns, "Who, these girls? I don't even know their names. They talk so much they give me a headache." He sighs, "Anyway, I'm gonna head out.. don't keep me waiting." He says before he turns and leaves.

"Awww... Why can't he be more friendly?" One of the fangirls says with a sigh.

Another girl smiles, "But, that's what makes him so cool!" The others agree, and they quickly run off after the silver-head.

When the girls are gone, a frown makes it's way onto Junpei's face. "Man, how can he not know their names! I mean, seriously! Just look at them!" He shakes his head, "...Oh well, let's go."

* * *

_Police Station_

* * *

At the station, the trio find Akihiko already there and speaking to an officer behind a counter.

"Thank you, Sir." The silver-head says, before spotting the other teens. "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier." The officer looks at them, and nods. "I was waiting for you guys. This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san..." Akihiko explains, before handing each of them some bills.

"R-Really? Sweet!" Junpei exclaims happily.

"You can't fight something empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections... but, these things still cost money." The boxer says, and the officer finally speaks up.

"Of course they do. Nothing in life is free."

Akihiko nods, "I realize that. Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." The boxer exits the station, and Kurosawa turns to the trio.

"I've been informed about you three. My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right." He then leads the teens into a secure back room, which was covered in shelves with cases of weapons, armor, and accessories.

"I don't have that much, but you should be able to find what you need." The officer announces, moving so the teens can look around.

"Ooh! Do you have a big sword for Junpei?" The capped boy exclaims, instantly going to the weapon section.

Minato turns to the red-eyed girl next to him, "So, what should we get first? We don't have that much money at the moment, so we can't afford to waste it all at once." He reasons, and the girl nods.

"Um, let's look at the armor. The safety of the team is what really matters right now, especially since Junpei-kun and Yukari-chan are still getting used to calling forth their Persona." Minato agrees with her, and they head for the armor case.

The case only contained a couple of items. Minako reaches in, and pulls out a shirt. She inspects the item, while Kurosawa explains to them the stats of the shirt. "That's a Rash Guard. It's a highly elastic shirt that raises your defense to 40%. The cost is 3,500 yen."

Minato turns to his fellow leader, "40% defense sounds pretty good, should we get one for Junpei, and another for Yukari?"

The girl nods, "I think so, they'll need the extra protection." Minako reaches back into the case and pulls out another Rash Guard. She then pulls out the correct amount of money and hands it to the officer.

"Thanks." The older man says with a nod, as Minako places the shirts in her bag.

"Well, I think that's all we're getting today. How about you, Junpei?" Minato asks the capped boy, who turns and pouts.

"There wasn't any big swords for me..." He says with a sigh.

"I'll be getting shipments of new items now and then, so come back when you get a chance." The officer explains, and the trio thank him before exiting the station.

Once out in the mall, Junpei sighs. "Pshh, only 5,000 yen... and no big sword for me... I'm gonna take off, since I'm in a bad mood now. Later." The capped boy says, before he heads for the exit.

Minako sighs at the capped boy's immaturity, before turning to the blue-haired boy next to her, "Hey, Minato-kun? I've been wanting to check out that café over there, so if you don't have anything else to do, would you like to join me?" She asks with a smile.

The boy returns the friendly gesture, "Sure, why not."

The two enter Chagall Café, and take a seat at a booth near a window. A waitress notices them, and makes her way to their table, and hands each of them a menu. She then leaves to tend to other customers while they decided on what they would like.

"I heard that their Pheromone Coffee will make you more charismatic." Minako explains, as she looks at the contents in the menu.

"Where'd you hear that?" Minato incredulously asks.

"Oh, some girls were saying it. They wanted to try it because they thought if they were more charismatic, then Akihiko-senpai would give them the time of day." She says with a wave of her hand.

"Is that so? Are you going to try it?" Minato asks, putting down the menu and looking at her.

"Yeah, but let me be clear that I'm not trying it because I want to flirt with Senpai!" She then points to a picture, "Oh, and I'm going to get one of these finger sandwiches too!"

"That looks good. I guess I'll get the same thing." Minato says, as the waitress returns to take their orders.

The two make small talk while they wait for their meal to arrive. When it does, the waitress places their food on the table, and makes a comment about them being a cute couple. Of course, this causes the two teens to become flustered, and deny it.

Finally, the waitress leaves and the teens began to eat in a somewhat awkward silence. Minako gently picks up her cup of coffee, and silently sips it. As she swallows the liquid, she feels the eyes of everyone in the café land on her.

The red-eyed girl coughs nervously, and looks up at Minato. "Hey, drink some of the coffee." She commands him in a hushed tone.

The blue-haired boy sends her a confused look, but lifts the cup up to his lips nevertheless. As he takes a sip, the same thing that happened to the girl, happened to him. All eyes in the building land on him, and a quiet murmuring is heard.

**Your Charm has Increased...**

"I can't believe that the coffee actually works! Those girls were right!" Minako exclaims as soon as everyone returns their attention back to their own meals.

Minato is surprised as well. "Yeah." He agrees, before a small smirk makes it's way to his lips. "Are you going to try and flirt with Akihiko-senpai now?"

The girl looks down at her food, "No!" She disagrees firmly, but the boy just chuckles at her.

"Ne, what about you?" The girl looks back at him, an identical smirk on her face.

"What about me?" Minato asks, curious as to what she was going to say.

"Well, apparently both Kenji-san and Junpei-kun seem to think that you and Yukari-chan are pretty cozy. And she just happens to be pretty popular, so are you going to use your new found charm to woo her?" Minako explains.

The blue-haired boy frowns, "Jeez, why does everyone think something is going on between me and her...?" He mutters, looking away like she had done earlier.

Minako grins at him, "Sorry, I just couldn't resist saying that!" She laughs merrily, and Minato can't help but join her. Her laugh was contagious.

The two then continue to eat their meal, _feeling that their friendship had grown a bit_. Before either of them knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and people were beginning to leave the café.

"Wow, I can't believe it's already this late! Time flew by fast!" Minako remarks as she and Minato exit the café after having finished their meals.

"It sure did. We should head back to the dorm, before it gets dark." The blue-haired boy reasons, but as they were about to head out, something caught their eye.

A blue door below the Mandragora karaoke bar seemed to be calling out to them. It shined with a brilliance, and the teens felt themselves being pulled towards it. The Velvet Keys began to glow in their hands, before fitting into the door's keyhole...

_Velvet Room_

"Ah, there you are." A familiar voice rings out, as the SEES leaders open their eyes. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor announces.

Minako straightens up in her seat, "Wait, don't tell me that that door in the mall is an entrance to the Velvet room!"

Theo smiles at her, "I'm afraid it is. The door is placed there, so you and Master Minato can come and visit whenever you have free-time."

"It's convenient really," Elizabeth speaks up, "This way, you two wouldn't have to wait till the Dark Hour to come and see us."

The teens nod in understanding, and Igor takes his turn to speak. "I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here." He says, and the wild cards give him a look that said, _'Finally!'_

"It is my job to create new Personas." Igor explains, "But, in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together."

"Persona cards?" Minato interrupts, "You mean, those 'faces of possibilities,' right? Like, Pixie?" He asks, recalling the small fairy they had received the night before.

"Precisely. I will merge those Persona cards into a single Persona. Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may be able to create an even stronger Persona. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me."

"We will!" Minako says with a nod of her head.

"Excellent." Igor smiles at them. "Well, it seems that it's getting late in your world, so I shall let you go." As soon as the words leave his mouth, the room becomes fuzzy.

"We look forward to your next visit." Theo's and Elizabeth's voices is the last thing they hear, before everything becomes dark.

_Paulownia Mall_

When the teens reopen their eyes, they find themselves back in the mall. Minato turns and looks behind them, spotting the sparkling blue door.

"It's still there." Minako comments, gazing at the door.

"Yeah. Well, at least now we can visit them from here too." He adds, and the girl nods.

"Yup. Oh, we should get going, the others will get worried if we're not there before dark." Minako says, and she leads him out of the mall.

_Dorm_

Minato pulls open the door for himself and his fellow dorm-mate. They enter the dorm and spot their team-mates relaxing in the lounge. Mitsuru, who was reading a book in one of the couches, looks up at them and offers a small smile.

"Welcome back." She greets, as the teens place their bags on the ground and fall into one of the seats.

"Perfect timing. I'd like to speak to you both for a moment." The red-head continues and she closes her book and places it in her lap.

"Regarding our exploration of Tartarus... Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like you two to keep the positions you were assigned as leaders. You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you both faced the other day. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourselves in a difficult situation."

Minato nods, "Of course. We'll do our best."

The red-head smiles, "I'm holding you to that. There's another matter I would like to discuss. I want you to consider having Tartarus explorations on certain days. This way, we'll all know when to be ready, and everyone will have time for other activities."

"That a good idea!" Minako exclaims. "What days should we assign for explorations?" She turns to Minato.

"Hmm, what about Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? That way we'll have a day in between to rest, plus the weekend to do what we want." The 1st in command suggests, and his 2nd in command nods her head.

"That's perfect! Is that alright, Senpai?" She turns to Mitsuru, who gives a small smile.

"If that is what you both agree on, then it's perfectly fine with me." She says, and both leaders nod to show that they're in agreement.

"Well then, that will be our schedule. I'll let everyone know so they can be there on those days. Oh, one more thing. Since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. Well, that's it. Keep up the good work." The red-head then picks up her book, and begins to read once more.

The leaders then get up and grab their things, before heading up to their rooms. They were going to need their rest since their exploration would continue the next day...

* * *

_A/N: So, there you have it! Again, **if you're interested in helping me with the fighting parts, please send me a PM so we can work something out! It would definitely help if you actually knew Persona's plot and had an ability to write fighting scenes, just throwing that out there now... -.-'**_


End file.
